''Unaccustomed as We Are'' is a short

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending ( black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the o ...

produced by

Hal Roach Harry Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr.Randy Skretvedt, Skretvedt, Randy (2016), ''Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies'', Bonaventure Press. p.608. (January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and television producer, director, a ...

and directed by

Lewis R. Foster Lewis Ransom Foster (August 5, 1898 – June 10, 1974) was an American screenwriter, film/television director, and film/television producer. He directed and wrote over one hundred films and television series between 1926 and 1960. Selected film ...

. It was released by

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...

on May 4, 1929. This picture was the first "all-talking"

Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957). Starting their career as a duo in t ...

comedy. The working title was ''Their Last Word''.''The Laurel & Hardy Book,'' edited by

Leonard Maltin Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic and film historian, as well as an author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives. He is perhaps best known for his book of fi ...

, Curtis Books (New York), 1973, p. 215. . The title was changed to ''Unaccustomed as We Are'', a play on the familiar phrase "Unaccustomed as I am to public speaking..."

Story

Oliver Hardy Oliver Norvell Hardy (born Norvell Hardy; January 18, 1892 – August 7, 1957) was an American comic actor and one half of Laurel and Hardy, the double act that began in the era of silent films and lasted from 1926 to 1957. He appeared with his ...

brings his friend

Stan Laurel Stan Laurel (born Arthur Stanley Jefferson; 16 June 1890 – 23 February 1965) was an English comic actor, writer, and film director who was one half of the comedy duo Laurel and Hardy. He appeared with his comedy partner Oliver Hardy in 10 ...

home to dinner, as a surprise guest. Mrs. Hardy ( Mae Busch) is sick and tired of cooking for her husband's lowlife pals and, after giving Mr. Hardy a piece of her mind, she walks out. Left to his own devices, Hardy resolves to cook the dinner himself. He pauses to assist a friendly neighbor ( Thelma Todd), and when Laurel's blundering spoils the dinner plan, Todd volunteers to help. Unfortunately Laurel has unwittingly started a fire in the kitchen, and Todd's clothes are ruined. She can't return to her own apartment because her jealous husband, a policeman (

Edgar Kennedy Edgar Livingston Kennedy (April 26, 1890 – November 9, 1948) was an American comedic character actor who appeared in at least 500 films during the silent and sound eras. Professionally, he was known as "Slow Burn", owing to his ability to por ...

), has just arrived. Desperate, she hides inside a trunk in Hardy's living room. Suddenly Mrs. Hardy returns, contrite, but Hardy tries to get rid of the trunk by pretending to walk out himself. Officer Kennedy sends Mrs. Hardy out of the room and tries to settle matters peacefully -- until he finds out who's hiding in the trunk.

Production

The new talking-picture technology was so unfamiliar at the Roach studio that ''Unaccustomed as We Are'' became a training exercise for its technical staff. Four cameramen alternated on the photography. The film was also released in a silent version, to accommodate those theaters that had not yet converted to sound. ''Unaccustomed as We Are'' was an experiment in sound, and most of the action was driven by dialogue. The silent version had printed title cards displaying the dialogue whenever anyone spoke, resulting in a slow and sometimes tedious narrative. Later Laurel and Hardy hybrids, intended for both silent and sound markets, were careful to include pantomime and visual gags, so silent-film audiences could enjoy the action without hearing the dialogue.

References

{{Reflist 1929 films Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Laurel and Hardy